Monday, 19 July 2010

The tide is going out again.

I'm not going to write very much because after a very busy week at the Globe, I'm on Holiday. The first Holiday with a capital H that I've had in years. One of the side effects of being a freelancer is that it's hard to take time without work and call it a holiday, there are too many things to do: emails, making programmes, practising etc. ad nauseam. With the Globe, it's at least got enough structure that when we've got week off, I thought "whoa, I've got a week off!" and just finished my first day of sea-kayaking here in Falmouth. No pics until I get back I'm afraid - I left my computer and even my iPod at home and am on the ancient public machine here at Falmouth Lodge.

I learned a lot about kayaking today - after an exhausting morning of learning to get in, turn, brake, go sideways etc. the instructor asked if we had any questions so, feeling my shoulder acting up and my elbow becoming a bit inflamed from the strain I asked "How do we paddle? Obviously we all got about ok, but he then demonstrated how to paddle with your whole body and not just your shoulder and elbow - oh. Something to practise!

In the afternoon we learned to capsize with grace and elegance: climb up on the top, crawl to the front and kiss its nose. But more importantly, we learned how to get back in, both with assistance and without, and how to stay warm while waiting for help or recouping energy. We finished the day capsizing and taking off the spray deck underwater to get out - something that terrifies anyone who has ever thought of the concept of a boat you wear, but it was actually fine once we knew what to expect. I'm looking forward to learning to roll on Wednesday though.

Well, off to find a Pasty or a Chippie (that's Fish & Chips to you Canadians) and make my way to "The Waterfront," where there's some live folk music going down tonight - I'm promised a hurdy-gurdy at least. I'm afraid the stories about my London adventures last week with be passed over this time: I won't tell you how impressed I am that London has two music lending libraries (and that I joined one); I won't tell you that when I bike I'm pretty good at staying on the left now but I am occasionally still shocked when I look into a car to find an empty seat where I think a driver should be (or in one instance, a dog); and I definitely won't tell you how glamourous and exciting our press night was except to mention that I got to wear my cocktail dress.